By Christopher Tan
Senior Correspondent
christan1@sph.com.sg

 

IF there is a silver lining in the prevailing gloom and doom, it would have to be that it forces us to rethink certain policies.

From big picture ponderings like just how free should a free-market economy be, to scrutinising the ways financial institutions sell investment-linked products.

Here's one more to the list: Should Singapore motorists be allowed to buy left-hand-drive cars?

It is not as inconsequential a question as it appears.

More than two-thirds of the world drive cars with the steering wheel afixed on the left side. The remainder, largely former British colonies (like Singapore), does the opposite.

Singapore, as you might be aware, does a roaring trade in vehicle re-exporting. It is estimated that we re-export 50,000 to 80,000 vehicles a year, ringing the tills to the tune of $500 million or more.

Our customers are mainly right-hand-drive markets like Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand, United Kingdom and certain African states.

The re-export trade is currently pretty weak. Many consumers are holding back on big-ticket purchases, and the car is the first on the axe list.

Now if our vehicles could be sold to the whole world instead of just one-third of the world, we will be able to fetch better prices in good times and move our vehicles faster in a weak market.

Allowing left-hand-drive here is not as chaotic as it sounds. Already, there are dozens of left-hand-drive vehicles here, driven mainly by foreign diplomats who find it too much of a bother to switch.

And in places like Japan, United Kingdom, Thailand and even Malaysia, both left-hand and right-hand vehicles are allowed. So there is precedence.

The main inconvenience of driving a left-hand-drive car is when you approach one of the older carparks which still dispense tickets. Or require you to insert a Cashcard.

But with more and more carparks adopting the ERP technology, it should not be a major pain for much longer.

There are more fundamental reasons why left-hand-drive cars may not fit in, or so say the regulators. The road system here is right-hand-drive biased. For instance, when turning at junctions, visibility of oncoming traffic may be impeded if you are seated on the 'wrong' side.

In the Highway Code, we are supposed to give way to traffic approaching from your right. That's because if you don't, you are liable to get hurt - if you’re seated on the right.

But going by real-life experiences, not many drivers here adhere to what they learnt in driving school. Many pretty do as they please.

The one other consideration is how car headlamps are tilted to one side to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. Again, in brightly-lit Singapore, that is not a huge issue.

When I was test-driving a left-hand-drive Smart here a few weeks ago, I did not encounter any problem. Granted the Smart is a tiny car and it matters little which side you are seated. And I did not happen to come across any carpark which required me to retrieve a ticket or insert a Cashcard.

But you know, I would gladly suffer the little inconveniences if it means my car gets a better resale value. And that's what it means if Singapore's re-exported cars can appeal to buyers in more countries.

Not only that, car enthusiasts here can look forward to products which are available only in left-hand-drive. These include the enigmatic BMW Z8, the gorgeous Porsche Carerra GT, the fantastic McLaren SLR, the outrageous Lamborghini Reventon and the monstrous Bugatti Veyron.

It will also mean car buyers can get to acquire new models as soon as other major markets. Many manufacturers tend to produce left-hand-drives first (and understandably so), followed by right-hand-drives months later.

Finally, car collectors will be able to consider a rare vintage that happens to have its steering wheel on the other side.

With the two integrated resorts opening their doors in one or two years' time, the demand for exotic cars will surge. If we allow left-hand-drives, the pickings will be so much the richer.

It is surely something to ponder.